Carrabba’s Italian Grill – Lansing

13 04 2009
  • 6540 W. Saginaw Highway
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 323-8055
  • Website
  • Menu
Carrabbas Italian Grill on Saginaw Highway in Delta Township

Carrabba's Italian Grill on Saginaw Highway in Delta Township

It had been a long weekend.  I had worked four days in a row (unusual for my line of work) and J had made a quick trip home to see a friend of hers who just had a baby.  We timed it out where she got home about an hour after I did on Sunday.  That gave me enough time to shower and have a little snack.  By 5:00, we were both pretty hungry.  She did brunch with her parents in Chicago, but that was at 10:00 AM.  We wanted to go out for dinner, but since it was Easter Sunday, we weren’t really sure what would be open.  I knew the chain restaurants would be serving, so we headed out to Delta Township.

We had our choice as far as chains go on that side of town.  I narrowed it down to Outback Steakhouse, Cheddar’s, and Carrabba’s.  J said she didn’t have a preference and since Carrabba’s is the one out of those three that I had never eaten at, it’s what we chose.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill is on Saginaw Highway in front of the Kohl’s in Delta Township.  Usually when we’re in this part of town, Carrabba’s isn’t open. They’re not the typical chain and they’re not open for lunch during the week.  They open their doors at 4:00 Monday thru Friday.  On Saturday and Sunday, they do open at noon, but they serve the same dinner menu.

We were met at the door by a waitress who welcomed us to the store as she stood holding the door for us.  We were then met by a hostess who showed us to a table near the kitchen.  The restaurant was surprisingly packed for a holiday.  The table we were seated at had a good view of the kitchen which was open and on display.  In fact, there was even a bar where you could enjoy your meal while watching the cooks prepare the evening’s meals.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Italian, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

A Change At Pizza Hut..

8 04 2009

..at the south Lansing location anyway.  I was driving by yesterday and saw a crane taking signs down.  I thought the worst and figured they were going out of business.  When I drove by tonight, I found out that I was wrong.  They didn’t close.  They just changed the branding.

They’ve dropped the “Italian Bistro” concept and turned it into a WingStreet. 

J’s been saying for a while we needed to stop in one day.  Growing up, I was the only one in my family that preferred Pizza Hut.  Really, I just loved the breadsticks.  It’s been so long since I’ve actually had a pizza from there that I don’t really remember if I liked it or not. 

The Italian Bistro concept was a little more upscale than a typical Pizza Hut.  They had more of a “bistro” menu and offered a lot of dishes that are now common due to the “Pasta Hut” campaign.

WingStret is the Yum! Brand’s wing store.  Pairing Pizza Hut and WingStreet is pretty common, but not in a location like the south Lansing spot.  Usually, they’re paired together in take out restaurants.

I’ve never had WingStreet wings, so maybe we’ll give them a shot one night.  We’re running out of new places to eat on the southside anyway.


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Categories : Chains, Food News, Lansing, Michigan, Pizza

Hooters of Lansing

8 04 2009
  • 172 E. Edgewood Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 393-7997
  • Website
  • Menu
Hooters of Lansing on E. Edgewood Blvd.

Hooters of Lansing on E. Edgewood Blvd.

I’m going to be honest.  I’ve never been a fan of Hooters.  Even as a horny teenager, I thought their gimmick was ridiculous.  The only Hooters close to where I grew was over an hour away and every time my friends and I were close to it, we’d have to stop.  They would all cover by saying, “but the food is so good.”  I disagreed.  I always thought it was overpriced for what it was.  It was fine, but it seemed like you were paying for something other than the food.  The only redeeming quality to Hooters for me was the hot wings.  At the time, Hooters was about the only place serving up chicken like that.  This was long before Buffalo Wild Wings and long before chicken wings became staples on sports bar menus. 

So, even though there’s a Hooters just around the corner from where we live now, it’s one place we haven’t really been itching to get to.  That is, until I saw a commercial for 10 boneless wings and fries for $5.99 on Wednesday’s.  I figured if nothing else, it was a cheap meal and it would give us an excuse to check out the Lansing store.

Hooters of Lansing is on Edgewood Boulevard in South Lansing.  It’s got the same design as every other store and the same decor and layout as every other Hooters.  They use wood paneling and bright orange colors to accent their waitress uniforms.  J called it an outdoorsy field.  It is a very vibrant atmosphere and one of the original sports bars.  The unique thing that I’ve always liked about Hooters is how they send orders to the kitchen.  Sure, they may use POS systems now, but they still put a piece of paper on a clip and send it along a zip wire to the kitchen.  When something is ready, the kitchen sends it back. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicken, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Wings

KFC Offers To Fix Potholes

1 04 2009

I thought for sure this was an elaborate April Fool’s joke, but most of the articles I could find on the topic were from last week.

The fast-food chain has sent off a letter to the nation’s mayors, offering to patch their potholes for free. The company will leave behind a stenciled brand on the patch informing people the road has been “Re-Freshed by KFC.”

“In honor of our “Fresh Tastes Best” campaign, we want to come and Re-“Fresh” your roads!” KFC president Roger Eaton says in the letter. “Every patched pothole comes with the Colonel’s very own stamp of approval.”

I find this sad on two levels.  First, it’s sad that these cities can’t do what they’re supposed to do on their own.  This story in the Chicago Tribune says the city was working with a marketing firm already when they found out about KFC’s offer.  Second, it’s really sad that advertising continues to take over our lives.


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Bob Evans Restaurant – American Road

30 03 2009
  • 900 American Road
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 394-7676
  • Website
  • Menu
Bob Evans Restaurant on American Drive in South Lansing.

Bob Evans Restaurant on American Drive in South Lansing.

After a weekend of standing out in the rain, snow and wind, I really wasn’t in the mood to cook.  I had everything ready to go like I was going to cook dinner, but J e-mailed and said she was in the mood for pulled pork.  Unfortunately, Lansing doesn’t have any BBQ joints.  Our only real option is Smokey Bones, but that’s out near Eastwood and there’s no way I was going to chance construction on 127 when J only had an hour for dinner.  Instead, I thought of Bob Evans.  I thought they may have a pulled pork on the menu and they did.

Bob Evans is one of the interesting chains.  I’ve never eaten at one in the past because I always thought it looked like “an old person” restaurant.  The concept is to be a comfortable family restaurant where everyone is welcome.  The chain actually got it’s start because Bob Evans (real person) needed an outlet to sell his premium sausages.  Local restaurants near Rio Grande, Ohio didn’t want to buy his speciality sausage because people wouldn’t pay a higher prices for a higher quality sausage.  Mr. Evans  believed in his product so much, he started a chain out of his truck stop.

The South Lansing location is on American Drive near Cedar Street.  It’s shares a parking lot/driveway with the Super 8 Motel.  There’s another location on Commercial Drive near Exit 93 on I-96 in Delta Township and one in DeWitt just off I-69. 

Bob Evans restaurants are easy to spot.  They’re big red buildings that remind you of a barn.  That’s kind of fitting considering Bob Evans was a farmer and his farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.  I was meeting J for dinner so I found a spot in the parking lot near the road so she could see me.  I only had to wait a few minutes for her to show up.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Big Boy Restaurant – Mason

22 03 2009
  • 660 N. Cedar Street
  • Mason, MI 48854
  • (517) 676-4401
  • Website
  • Menu
The Big Boy Restaurant on Cedar Street in Mason.

The Big Boy Restaurant on Cedar Street in Mason.

It was a long weekend.  I worked in Detroit on Friday, Champaign, IL on Saturday then had to drive home on Sunday.  I left my parents house before lunch, but I didn’t want to actually stop for food on my way home.  I was already making a detour to the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond to get J tickets to see Joel McHale for her birthday and another stop would have made a four hour trip (five with the time change) start pushing five hours.  By the time I finally got home at 5:30 ET, I was starving.  J hadn’t eaten much either, so after unpacking really quick, we went on the hunt for food.

 I was craving a burger.  I didn’t want to go to a bar because the MSU/USC game was on and I wasn’t in the mood for a crowd.  Instead, we opted for Big Boy in Mason.  We had eaten at the Big Boy in Okemos last fall and were a little unimpressed with the place, but I wanted to give them another chance.  I figured a different location might make our dining experience a little better.

The Big Boy Restaurant in Mason is located on Cedar Street on the southeast side of town.  It sits right near US 127 before you actually get in to the town.  Unlike the Okemos location, it’s obvious this store is a Big Boy.  There’s a huge sign out front and the famous statue of the Big Boy on the edge of the parking lot.  There were a few cars in the lot, but nothing overwhelming.

This store is more what I was expecting from a Big Boy.  The decor is a little more bright and cartoonish.  I had never seen a Big Boy before moving to Michigan, but the statue is a part of Americana and I guess I just have a preconceived notion of what I thought Big Boy was.  The Mason location lived up to that notion better than the Okemos location.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Mason, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Brown’s Chicken & Pasta – Oak Lawn, IL

9 03 2009
  • 4740 W. 111th Street
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 424-9280
  • Website
  • Menu
Browns Chicken & Pasta on 111th Street in Oak Lawn, IL

Brown's Chicken & Pasta on 111th Street in Oak Lawn, IL

There’s been a fried chicken debate going on between J and I since we started dating.  I have always preferred Popeye’s Chicken while her family grew on Brown’s.  If you’ve never heard of Brown’s, it’s probably because it’s a Chicago chain.  If you have heard of Brown’s, it’s probably because of the “Brown’s Chicken Massacre” which happened at a Palatine location in 1993. 

We were in Chicago for a surprise birthday party for one of J’s friends.  It was J’s job to distract the birthday girl and get her to the party later in the evening.  J and another friend decided they needed a girl’s night out at Al’s Char-House in Lagrange (review HERE).  Since I was being used as an excuse to be in Chicago that weekend, I couldn’t be seen and therefore couldn’t go to dinner with the girls. 

After dropping J off, I was on my own for dinner.  We just had the Popeye’s/Brown’s discussion earlier this week so I thought I’d give the Chicago chain a chance to see if they really were better than my beloved Popeyes.

Brown’s has several locations in Chicagoland, but the one closest to where I was is on 111th and Cicero right at the Oak Lawn/Alsip city limits.  It’s a really small shop and really hard to get in to.  I missed the entrance and had to go up a block and turn around.  When I turned in to the very small parking lot, I headed straight one of just a handful of spots in front of the building. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicken, Illinois, Oak Lawn, Restaurant, Reviews

McDonald’s Outsources Jobs

26 02 2009

You know the economy is in the crapper when McDonald’s is outsourcing minimum wage jobs.

I ordered a cup of coffee today from a woman in North Dakota. It was in my hands within about 10 seconds, and was plenty hot enough to scorch a lap.

The process went like this: I pulled up to the drive-through squawk box at the Charlotte McDonald’s.

[snip]

After thanking me for my “persistence,” Scott confirmed that the Charlotte McDonald’s is, indeed, a test site for an experimental “call center” approach, and that drive-through orders went “out of state

Go to the LSJ’s website and read the whole article.  Great job by LSJ columnist John Schnieder for digging this up.  A few weeks ago, there was a storyline on King of the Hill where Bill fell in love with the drive thru lady who worked for a call center out of state and went on a road trip to find her.  I thought it was all a joke.  I never imagined that someone would actually outsource their drive thru operation.  I laughed out loud when J pointed out this article to me.  Seriously?  They’re outsourcing minimum wage jobs? 

I hate drive thrus as it is.  This is even more incentive to stay the hell away.  I can never understand the person on the other end.  What if the call center is in the south or New England and the person on the other end has an unfamiliar accent.  I’ll never get my food.  I’m at a loss for words.  Outsourcing drive thrus.  Wow.


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Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Food News, Michigan

Quality Dairy – E. Jolly Rd.

21 02 2009
  • 2625 E. Jolly Road
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 272-1628
  • Website

This coming Tuesday is Fat Tuesday….and everyone knows what that means!  Paczki’s!  Alright, I’ll admit it.  Up until about a year ago, I had never heard of a paczki.  J grew up on the south side of Chicago which has a fairly large Polish population, so the Fat Tuesday treat was something she grew up with.  Last year on the Monday before Lent, J and I took my mom to Chicago and while we were eating lunch downtown, J started talking about paczki’s.  My mom likes sweets so we found a Polish bakery on the north side of town and brought home a dozen.  This past weekend, I was at a mega mart with my mom and grandma when I saw a box of paczki’s….of course, we had to buy them.

In the last couple days, we had seen commercials for Quality Dairy and L & L Food Centers advertising that they both had the pastry in their stores.  After eating lunch and a quick shopping trip, we needed dessert, so it was off to the Quality Dairy.

We chose the Quality Dairy on East Jolly Road at Dunkel Road because it was on the way home.  This location is bigger than the other QD’s we’ve been to.  Not only does it have all of the great Quality Dairy baked goods, but it also has a gas station and a laundromat.  How great of an idea is that.  You can throw a load of laundry in then go next door and get a doughnut.  I’m usually happy if the laundromat has a pop machine so I can get a Pepsi while my clothes are washing. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bakery, Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Reviews

Little Caesars Pizza – South Cedar

20 02 2009
  • 4929 S. Cedar Street #701
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-2753
  • Website
  • Menu
Little Caesars...home of the $5 Hot-N-Ready...sometimes

Little Caesars...home of the $5 Hot-N-Ready...sometimes

I didn’t realize that we actually took Little Caesars for granted until this past weekend.  It was actually quite funny.  My brother was so excited about Little Caesars opening up in Kankakee (IL) again.  There used to be a store when we were little and we’d eat there every now and then.  That was when they did their two pizza deal.  Eventually, the store dropped the franchise and became a shop called “Cheeser! Cheeser!”  It was pretty much Little Caesars, but not Little Caesars.  Within in the last few months, the Little Caesars franchise moved back in and they had this deal that was only available in Kankakee called “$5 Hot and Ready.”  J and I laughed a little when my brother was telling us about this.  I have been getting “Hot-N-Ready” pizzas for five years and didn’t realize that not everyone had heard of it. 

For some reason, I was craving pizza for lunch.  I still have a frozen Giordano’s in my freezer, but didn’t feel like cooking.  J suggested running to Little Caesars and getting pizza.  Five bucks is a great deal for lunch and I had a few other errands to run so I went for it.

Little Caesars has multiple locations in Lansing.  They’re all carry-out and they’re all pretty much in strip malls.  The one I chose today is near the corner of Jolly Road and Cedar Street. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Pizza, Reviews

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